The International Commission on Nuclear Nonproliferation and Disarmament, an international panel co-chaired by former Japanese and Australian foreign ministers Ms. Yoriko Kawaguchi and Mr. Gareth Evans, agreed Oct. 20 on an action plan toward global nuclear disarmament after a three-day meeting in the atomic-bombed city of Hiroshima.
The action plan, to be included in a final report issued in January, will call for a drastic reduction of nuclear weapons worldwide by 2025, although the ICNND did not disclose a target figure at this point. Ms. Kawaguchi said the figure, taking into account the capacity of nuclear weapons dismantling facilities, will be "realistic yet ambitious."
It is hoped that the not-too-idealistic action plan will build momentum in the international community for a successful review of the Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty next May.
The final report will contain a three-phase action agenda, spelling out actions to be taken during the periods up to 2012, from 2012 to 2025, and beyond 2025. For the first phase (to 2012), the report will call on nuclear states to adopt a doctrine declaring that the only reason to possess nuclear weapons is to prevent nuclear attacks by other states. It also will call on nations to bring the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty into force.
As middle-term actions, the report will call on nuclear states to drastically reduce nuclear weapons and pledge not to use them unless they or their allies are attacked with nuclear weapons ("no first use" policy).
Beyond 2025, nuclear states will be urged to move toward abolition of nuclear weapons, but no deadline will be set. The report will also present steps for strengthening nonproliferation measures against India, Pakistan and Israel.
The international community should oppose any move to build up nuclear arsenals or to facilitate the use of nuclear weapons. Foreign Minister Katsuya Okada called on the United States to adopt a "no first use" policy. But the logical step should be for him to urge all nuclear states to adopt the policy.
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